Pairing and setting up your AirPods (Pro) with your iPhone only takes a few steps. We’ll show you how to get the most out of your headphones.
If you’re getting a new pair of Apple AirPods or Apple AirPods Pro, you’ll definitely want to waste no time seeing the headphones in action. Luckily, connecting to your iPhone or iPad is very easy and quick.
However, the coupling alone is not enough if you want to exploit the full potential. The intelligent headphones also understand gestures and can, if desired, start Siri, pause playback, jump to the next track and much more.
Below we will explain step by step how you connect the AirPods to your Apple device and then configure them according to your wishes. We will also tell you other useful tips and tricks for use.
In the instructions we work with the first generation AirPods. However, with the successor models including the Pro version, the setup is the same or very similar.
Change the name of the AirPods
Do you want to find your AirPods more quickly among Bluetooth devices and customize them by assigning them a new name? This is quite simple. In the linked article we explain how you can change the name of your AirPods.
Connect AirPods to other devices
You can easily connect your AirPods to Apple TV and watch series and films without disturbing others. Pairing with the Apple Watch is also possible without any problems. This has advantages, especially when doing sports, as you don’t have to carry your iPhone with you to listen to music.
Danger: If you want to disconnect, simply put the AirPods back in the case. If you click on “Unpair device” in the settings, the connection will be disconnected on all devices and you will have to set up the headphones again, for example on your iPhone.
By the way, the AirPods can also be connected to your Windows computer.
Listen to music together
As with other in-ear headphones, you can share the AirPods with another person and listen to music together. As soon as the other person puts the plug in their ear, the music will continue playing automatically. For some time now it has also been possible to connect a second pair of AirPods to an iPhone. It works like this:
- Put the AirPods that are not connected to your iPhone in your ears and bring the charging case close to the iPhone that is playing music.
- The message “Temporarily share audio” now appears on the iPhone. Tap on it.
Noise cancellation and transparency mode
The AirPods Pro have a little more to offer than the standard models. This also includes Active Noise Canceling (ANC). If you want to block out your surroundings in order to have peace and quiet, you can activate the noise cancellation in no time.
With the integrated transparency mode you can then show the surroundings again, for example to hear the traffic better. The transparency mode can be adjusted – so you can decide for yourself how much ambient noise you want to allow.
Announce news
You may have also noticed that Siri starts up when new messages arrive and wants to read them out for you. If you are annoyed by this, you can simply turn off the announcement of new messages.
Personalize 3D audio
To optimize the sound of 3D audio, you can have your ears measured by the AirPods if you have 3rd generation AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. This makes the sound clearer and adapts to the shape of your ears. How to personalize the 3D audio on your AirPods.
Find AirPods again
If you have misplaced your AirPods, you can find them quickly and easily. We will explain to you step by step how to do this in the linked article.
Update firmware
Like many technical devices, the AirPods also receive a firmware update every now and then, which usually fixes errors. You can also manually perform a software update for your AirPods. In many cases this can help solve problems.
More tips for your AirPods
The AirPods have many other functions, but can sometimes cause headaches due to problems. In the instructions linked below we will give you further useful tips for your in-ear headphones.
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